This study explores the generalizability of Situational Action Theory (SAT) in India by testing hypotheses related to the person–environment interaction in explaining offending. Drawing on data from a sample of 872 students between the ages of 14 and 17 from an Indian city collected as part of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD3), we tested the hypothesis that Indian youths will report more delinquent acts if they have a higher propensity to commit crime combined with a greater exposure to criminogenic activities. Our findings show unequivocal support for the applicability of SAT in India where youths reported a slight increase in offending behavior if they exercised low self-control or if they were less moralistic (i.e., they were more crime-prone), or when exposed to criminal activities or peers. Consistent with tests of SAT in other contexts, we find that exposure to criminogenic environments increases offending for youth with higher levels of criminal propensity but does not impact youth with lower levels of criminal propensity. We speculate that the overall low rate of delinquent offending coupled with the cultural milieu of Indian youths may explain why criminogenic exposure may be less relevant in light of young people’s strong avoidance of rule-breaking.

中文翻译：

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印度有多特别？情境行动理论测试

本研究通过测试与解释犯罪的人与环境相互作用相关的假设，探讨了情境行动理论 (SAT) 在印度的普遍性。根据国际自我报告犯罪研究 (ISRD3) 中收集的来自印度城市的 872 名 14 至 17 岁学生样本的数据，我们检验了以下假设：如果印度青年有以下行为，他们会报告更多的犯罪行为犯罪倾向更高，同时也更容易接触犯罪活动。我们的研究结果明确支持 SAT 在印度的适用性，在印度，如果年轻人的自控能力较低或道德水平较低（即，他们更容易犯罪），或者当他们接触到犯罪行为时，他们的犯罪行为会略有增加。活动或同行。与其他情况下的 SAT 测试一致，我们发现暴露于犯罪环境会增加犯罪倾向水平较高的青少年的犯罪行为，但不会影响犯罪倾向水平较低的青少年。我们推测，整体较低的犯罪率加上印度青年的文化环境可以解释为什么鉴于年轻人强烈避免违反规则，犯罪原暴露可能不太相关。